A whole roasted chicken makes for a nice presentation on the dinner table. Butterflying the chicken first takes it from “nice” to “spectacular” while also reducing the time in the oven. The end result is moist meat and crispy skin. With a delicious rub of mixed seasonings, you’ll get rave reviews from when it first hits the table, until the last bite disappears.
- Yield: 4 servings
-
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour - Cook Time: 45 minutes
Chef’s Tips
- Butterflying (also known as spatchcocking) a whole chicken speeds up cooking time and allows all the skin to be exposed, resulting in maximum crispiness!
- Try substituting other fresh herbs, such as tarragon or thyme, in place of the oregano or rosemary.
Ingredients
For the lemon herb rub:
- 1 cup (33 g) flat leaf parsley leaves, packed
- 3 tbsp (9 g) fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh oregano leaves, packed
- 1 tsp (2 g) fennel seed
- ½ tsp (3 g ) salt
- ½ tsp (2 g) ground black pepper
- ½ tsp (2 g) red chilli flakes
- ¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons)
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
- 3 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- Zest of 2 medium lemons
For the butterflied chicken:
- 3 1/2 to 4 lbs (1590 g to 1815 g) Sargent Farms bone-in whole chicken
- Sharp kitchen shears or serrated knife
For the garnish:
- 2 lemons, each cut into 6 wedges
Directions
For the lemon herb rub:
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped, about 12 – 15 times.
Transfer rub to a large resealable plastic or rimmed baking dish; set aside while preparing the chicken.
For the butterflied chicken:
Place chicken on a cutting board breast side down with the legs facing you. Using kitchen shears or a serrated knife, cut along both sides of the backbone, from tail to neck (reserve backbone for another use if desired).
Turn chicken over and press firmly in the centre of the breast to flatten. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Add chicken to the lemon herb rub and seal bag or cover baking dish with plastic wrap.
Set aside in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 475ºF (250ºC). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a rack inside.
Place chicken breast side up on the rack and tuck the wing tips under the breast. Slather well with any lemon herb rub left in the bag; discard the bag.
Roast chicken in oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and roast 15 minutes.
Remove pan and place lemon wedges around the chicken on the rack. Return pan to the oven until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165ºF (75ºC), 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove chicken and loosely tent with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to a platter.
Serve chicken alongside roasted lemon wedges.